The Bears' Josh McCown, above, fared well while filling in for Jay Cutler, leading some to call for him to win the starting job. / Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

What's ahead on the NFL horizon is thrilling enough. Playoff slots, down to the wire. A wide-open postseason. A blizzard at the Super Bowl.

But first ... a look back at some of the best and worst of 2013.

Best leverage:

Joe Flacco earned the mega-contract that he sought with arguably the best negotiating leverage possible - the strong-armed quarterback upped the ante by winning Super Bowl MVP honors as the Baltimore Ravens used playoff road victories at the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots en route to the Super Bowl XLVII title. Flacco's six-year, $120.6 million deal, though, left the team so strapped against the salary cap that it couldn't keep his most dependable receiver, Anquan Boldin, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe nor safety Ed Reed.

Worst tease:

The Dallas Cowboys? Usually. But even worse was another season without HGH testing, despite pronouncements before camp opened that an agreement was close. The NFL Players Association led by DeMaurice Smith has applied one stall tactic after another - it wanted a population study, it wants to wrest some of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's power that it couldn't get in the last labor deal. The NFLPA saw the overturn of a ruling involving an Olympic skier as proof that testing is still unreliable. That the sides remain entrenched in their positions is status quo. That lawmakers on Capitol Hill (granted, they have more pressing domestic matters) didn't follow up on the threat expressed by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) in April to hold HGH hearings was another tease factor.

Best comeback:

The Broncos led the Patriots 24-0 at halftime in Week12 ... and lost. Tom Brady finds a new way to beat Peyton Manning at Gillette Stadium.

Worst comeback:

Robert Griffin III starred in a commercial that declared he was "all in" for a Week 1 return from reconstructive knee surgery. He wore an "Operation Patience" T-shirt while continuing his rehab during preseason. He made it back for Week 1 -and for a nightmarish second season. RG3's flop - following an offseason of rehabbing, rather than reps - wasn't the worst of it. He's human. But the self-promotion backfired. And the way it has turned out makes the suggestions from Donovan McNabb last spring - that RG3 should keep a low profile while rehabbing -seem so clairvoyant. But this isn't all on RG3. Mike Shanahan's benching of Griffin for the final few weeks - to reduce the risk that another injury would derail the offseason program - is the move he should have made at the start of the season. Instead, they either rushed RG3 back or let his desire to live up to his hype mess up the whole equation.

Best replacement quarterback:

Josh McCown. There are still people, no doubt, who question whether Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman made the right move in re-inserting Jay Cutler after his Week 15 return from groin and ankle injuries. Those questions will intensify if Chicago doesn't defeat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday to win the NFC North crown. Trestman made the right call. He kept his word that Cutler would get his job back when healthy. That McCown - unlike predecessors in previous years such as Todd Collins and Jason Campbell - played well enough (13 touchdowns, one interception) to spark debate will earn him some bucks and a good look on the upcoming free agent market.

Worst excuse for a team leader:

Richie Incognito. Put aside the Jonathan Martin bullying allegations - which some in the media and teammates spinned to de-emphasize his use of racial slurs and promoted narrative to question the courage of the alleged victim - for a moment. The Dolphins allowed the guard with the checkered background to stay on the team and assume a position on the leadership council after an incident at a charity event where he inappropriately engaged with a female volunteer. The NFL has a policy that addresses workplace sexual harassment, strengthened after the Brett Favre situation with the New York Jets a few years ago. That apparently should have applied with regard to Incognito long before the issue with Martin surfaced.

Best innovation:

Chip Kelly. The first-year Philadelphia Eagles coach has proven that he was worth the competition on the coaching marketplace. He's demonstrating that the fast-paced style of offense that helped him succeed at Oregon can work in the NFL. It goes beyond that. His emphasis on sports science and willingness to buck traditions - the Eagles practice on Tuesday, the customary NFL off-day - add to his refreshing aura. And he's positioned to win the NFC East title. What a sweet debut season.

Worst candid camera moment:

Riley Cooper. When video surfaced showing the Eagles receiver yelling a racial slur at a security guard during a June concert, it threatened locker room chemistry. They survived, and the leadership from the likes of quarterback Michael Vick helped. Little did we know then that it would be the first in a series of NFL-related incidents that would cast scrutiny and spark dialogue about use of the N-word.

Best news conference statement:

He took a lot of heat for it, but Jets coach Rex Ryan's creative response when questioned about his quarterback situation - walking backward to illustrate his point - was classic Rex. It could also be interpreted as a reflection of the defiant approach that Ryan has had all season in the face of speculation that he's on his way out. Say this, though, about Ryan and the hot seat: With a rookie quarterback, Geno Smith, having ups and downs and a rather inept offense, they were not, as some projected, the worst team in the league. Instead, they were in the playoff hunt until recently and have a chance to finish 8-8.

Worst enforcement:

Sure, the NFL should have thrown the book at Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who was fined $100,000 for carelessly wandering - intentional or not - onto the field during Jacoby Jones' kick return for the Ravens on Thanksgiving night. Tomlin is on the NFL's rules-making committee. But a week after his gaffe, Dolphins special teams coach Darren Rizzi was fined just $10,000 for colliding with an official during a Steelers return just before halftime. Like Tomlin, Rizzi didn't honor the white stripe along the sideline. Even worse, no flag was thrown by the official who collided with Rizzi. Tomlin initially defended himself by stating that "everybody" violates that rule that supposedly keeps the sideline clear. Bottom line message to Dean Blandino's officiating crews: Enforce the darn rules consistently. Throw the flags! Then let it rain fines, if need be. Credibility is at stake.

Worst curse:

How else to explain the collapse of the Detroit Lions, who blew a seemingly solid lead in the NFC North in mid-November - while their chief rivals lost quarterbacks (Cutler for the Bears, Aaron Rodgers for the Packers). The Lions are eliminated, the Bears and Packers will determine the division Sunday and Detroit coach Jim Schwartz might lose his job. Remember the Curse of Bobby Layne? Maybe it's still on.

Worst rationalization:

D.J. Swearinger. The Houston Texans rookie took out Dolphins tight end Dustin Keller with a legal-yet-questionable low blow to the knees during a preseason game. Keller's career might be jeopardized, but Swearinger had the audacity to insist that NFL rules designed to reduce the risk of concussions forced him to take out Keller's knees.

Best homecoming:

Andy Reid, back to Philly. The first-year Kansas City Chiefs coach, aka Big Red, went back to The Linc and hung one on the Eagles in Week 3. It was quite the pattern. Reid was 4-0 against the teams in his former division, the NFC East. Now if he can only fare as well in his new division, the AFC West.

Worst homecoming:

Peyton Manning, back to Indy. The former Colts quarterback went back to the house that he helped get built, Lucas Oil Stadium, to suffer his first loss of the season with the Broncos. He got quite the glimpse of how the new Colts are built. But the comments that Colts owner Jim Irsay made to me in the days leading up to the game about his disappointment in winning just one Super Bowl with Manning fueled controversy.

Best Hall of Fame speech:

Cris Carter, finally. Loved the shout-outs to his mom, his brother, Butch, Buddy Ryan and the guys he grew up with in his neighborhood.